michaelbuys Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Hi all I am new to this site and would like some help please. I have several bearded dragons and never had a problem like this before I recently got a 4 month old female and se is struggling to eat. I got her 3 weeks ago I have her in a big terrarium that is 120cm x 60cm x 60cm I have a 100 watt basking lamp, 10.0 uvb 90cm and a 100 watt ceramic heat lamp she have plenty of space to clime so that she can be closer or further away from her basking spot as she choose. She is alone in the tank and there are no other dragons in the same room as her. I always feed out of their tanks. I have tried to give her baby locusts but she starts to panic when they jump around and start scratching the sides of the tank to get away from them, she also panic when I give her small crickets. I have a dish in her tank with calcium and mealworms in but she does not seem interested in them. On a few occasions I have spotted her eating some of her greens and she will eat waxworms out of my hand or if I put them down she will eat them. I know waxworms are not the best for them and only a treat. I have phoned the vet and he told me that I will have to force feed her. I do not like to do this but I also so not like my animals to suffer. Does anyone have any ideas as I am a bit concerned? Thank you Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 could just be too many waxworms ... theyre more a treat food. crickets and locusts better staple. healthy lizards can go some days without food. may take a little tough love to get it back onto proper foods. if vet thinks force feed leave with vet and let them do it would be my advice. never had to do so here. best to feed in enclosure they are in also .. less stress. keep setup basic, so livefood can't hide etc, until a bit bigger and or eating well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelbuys Posted February 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Only use waxworms as she does not eat anything ells :-\ thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 if a kid only wanted chocolate is that all you'd feed it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Is this the one you bought from alan4304 on trademe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelbuys Posted February 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Would you rather let it die? I know it is dificult to understand as this is the firt time this happened to me. I newer give them waxworms not even as a treat. I only start giving them to her because she was not eating at all. She started losing wheight so out of desperation i got waxworms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Life is about balance, was just saying you may find if you stop offering waxworms the bd may gain an appetite for other bugs. 4 months old. it should be getting some size on? if not eating strip enclosure put on paper towel. make sure temps are spot on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelbuys Posted February 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 What would you recommend for basking spot i have a thermostat that i can hook up. Would you leave a rock in for basking. Should u leave a cave in for her to hide? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 care sheet to start with .. viewtopic.php?f=40&t=42391 my book says 90f-100f basking so 32.2 - 37.7C would lean toward higher end if not eating well. also avoid drafts but allow good ventilation as want cool as possible in rest of enclosure. try not disturb too much. yeah I use to have a cardboard box hide down the cool end and basking rock down the other. on fake turf .. simple for easy care and feeding crickets. green turf better than coloured as crickets stand out more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 I can only give you the same advice that I gave you in the 26 Emails that you sent me and I replied to after you purchased it and I hope you take more notice this time than you seem to have in the past. Reduce the temperature from 45 degrees C to 25-30 degrees C (As I told you it was raised at 25 degrees C and was eating OK) Stop feeding large chunks of carrot and stuff and feed more suitable salads like dandelion leaves, nasturtium leaves, pea leaves, bean leaves etc all chopped up finely. Feed suitable sized mealworms in the dish you were using and dusted with calcium powder but they should be 1/3 mature size not mature ones like you were feeding. Feed locusts dusted with calcium powder in the enclosure but they should be no bigger than the distance between its eyes. Avoid handling until it feels secure and is feeding properly. Stop feeding wax moth larvae. I am pleased to see that it is a female as I said it was when you bought it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 what's the theory behind the low temps? more fertile and longevity .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason22 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Enclosure sound way to hot 100w basking and a 100w ceramic in am enclosure that size. I use one 80w mercury vapour in a 1500 enclosure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Enclosure sound way to hot 100w basking and a 100w ceramic in am enclosure that size. I use one 80w mercury vapour in a 1500 enclosure True that. especially if not on a thermostat. would expect it to be eating bugs like a mad man lmao. i have a thermostat that i can hook up. I used just 40watt spotlights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 With no thermostat there is no control over temperature. Heat lamps also produce light so at night time there is light that you don't want or no heat. Lowering the temperature with a clutch of babies is one of the things you need to do to stop them eating each others toes and tails. You only need a ceramic heater at one end along with a uv light and the latter can be turned off at night to give natural conditions. There is a school of thought (or lack of thought) that thinks that if you raise the temperature they will eat more, grow more quickly and therefore breed quicker. They usually feed the wrong food (high protein) as well and end up with reptiles with fatty liver and all sorts of other problems that frequently means they cannot breed at all. This is what happened to the very red dragons that were around a while ago. and I have been seeing it more frequently in leopard geckos of late. This person has had all this advice before and I hope will do something about it now for the sake of the reptile if it is not too late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Lowering the temperature with a clutch of babies is one of the things you need to do to stop them eating each others toes and tails. Interesting, sort of makes sense. I have seen a few slow grown before and thought it was more to keep them small for saleability as everyone loves them when small and cute. Also rumoured to be better for fertility and breeding but doesn't seem to be working out in NZ does it ... Overseas growth charts suggest we lacking big time but then they actually have the people for an industry and consequently crickets cheap as chips to feed said industry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 My understanding is that some people have been feeding really high protein like oxe heart. The problem is that they are movement stimulated feeders. If you put mealworms in there 24/7 they will eat some then move away. Locusts and crickets move a lot more so if you keep feeding them they will keep eating. Some people even hand feed mealworms by wriggling them around in front of them so they keep eating. I don't try to retard the growth but I have seen too many obese reptiles and I try to avoid that. I have been told by a large American breeder to feed 7 crickets (the right size) every second day. We tend here to feed heaps every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Some people feed 50 crickets per day overseas. Right or wrong. Is however a huge difference in size and sustenance with feeders. 5mm crickets almost nothing to them and the lizards will eat them all day, pinheads even worse. 10mm on the other hand - 10 insects should fill them. Was intrigued by the lower temp. Such neat animals, be nice to see more around. The coastals are my favourite. Not sure why, maybe the natural colour. I found even ones I kept at moderate temp still grew relatively fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Please don't think that a fat lizard is a healthy lizard or because they eat food they need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Michael, please let us know how much of this advice you have taken on board so that we can help you help the beardy. Do you turn all the lights off at night and have you connected the heaters to a termostat and if so what sort and at what temperature is it set? What sized insects are you feeding? If this problem is not sorted soon it may be too late. There are some very clever and informed reptile keepers on this site that can help you help this beardy if you wish to take and implement their advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinnadian Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 I have been told by a large American breeder to feed 7 crickets (the right size) every second day. We tend here to feed heaps every day. I'm assuming this is a diet of something like 80% veggies and 20% insects, for an adult beardy? In which case 7 adult locusts for an adult every 2 days seems fine. Certainly not 7 appropriate sized feeder insects per 2 days, for a beardy under 2 yrs... For every opinion out there on the internet there is an equally opposite opinion, and both can have positive results. We are spoiled with excessive information I feel sometimes... And there is no rule of thumb like other pets, such as "as much as they can eat in X minutes". I have tried with my beardy, giving him a big meal before going away for a couple of days. They will not stop eating even if they are full. This is more of a trial-and-error thing I find, simply guessing how many they should be fed and watching their weight over weeks/months. Difficult to give advice for someone like OP who has not done their research and doesn't appear to respond to advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
repto Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 I might try it with a companion of similar size?give them heaps of live food to excess and the competition may spark its interest?watch them . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 I find with my skinks and solo bearded dragon, and dragons had in past, if put too many crickets in enclosure they just don't eat them... hard to over feed on them, they're good exercise for fat skinks. .. plagues of locusts in aussie and feast or famine not unfamiliar to reptiles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 I agree with watching and responding to what you observe. I sold this reptile to this guy, and have answered 26 Emails from him, mainly about this feeding issue. I have previously explained that it was feeding perfectly well when I had it and have explained exactly how I reared it when I had it. My point was by Email and on here to explain how it was raised and that it was eating fine at that stage not that this is the best way to do it. This guy argued that it was a male, then that it was too young to sex and now admits it is a female, which it was sold to him as. I have advised him to use a thermostat and he is still asking if he should use one. I advised to lower the temperature and he still seems to ignore that. I advised on suitable salads and suitable sized live insects and which ones are best. I also said if he sent it back to me in the same way that I sent it to him I would give him a complete refund and he fluffed around for that long that I became unsure that I could rescue it if sent back so withdrew the offer. I will withdraw from this post in the hope that he may take advice from other people before he manages to ruin the health or kill this animal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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